Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 21, 1993                   TAG: 9304210334
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

LEAVE THE ROCKET IN WASENA PARK

I am a student at Lucy Addison Aerospace Magnet Middle School. I don't think the rocket ship should be moved. Since it's been there for 28 years, I believe that is where it is meant to be. In my opinion, moving it would be like moving Martin Luther King's grave site just because it looks prettier somewhere else.

I also think the money it would take to move it could be used for something better, rather than a pretty knickknack to put in front of our building.

People gather in the park during the summer for the 4th of July, carnivals and family outings. It just wouldn't be the same if there were no more "rocket ship bridge" and no more stories about how the rocket got there.

Our school has enough without depriving the park of a Roanoke landmark. Wasena Park isn't much to look at, but for the few seconds that you see the rocket and think about how long it's been there, all of the pollution, litter and loud cars disappear.

JENNIFER WOOLDRIDGE ROANOKE